Moved Back To Uk Recently.....Arrrgghhh!

[Wossnext]

Good post Wossnext. Sorry that you are unhappy though.

Please keep us updated to remind us why we all love the LOS.

I know now why I loved it so much:

The taken for granted 24hr availability of great and affordable food

Cheap transport to just about anywhere in Thailand

My local barber....haircut, shave, hot towel, head massage...70bt

Fortune IT mall

My honda click

Chinatown

My huge apartment with swimming pool and gym

My job and my work colleagues at All Seasons Place

I could go on to list plenty of negatives, but I'm not thinking about them right now LOL

[Forethat]

I remember being in a Whetherspoons pub on a Tuesday afternoon, a long bar and me and another guy who was stood at the other end of the bar were the only customers, I said to him "How's it going mate" his reply was "Who the fuc_k are you talking to" I thought, welcome back to England.

Ouch...that's sickening. Makes you wonder where the world is going.

Maybe I need to reconsider my decision...<deleted>**...

[marcel.dekorte]

Mister exeter,

'You have to be careful what you say in case an immigrant hears you and complains!'

Nice, they understand English

'Your country? Not anymore please fit in with these nice homeless people from the big house down the road and learn their language because although they have lots of time on their hands on account none of them work they still cannot speak a word of English.'

Hm, they cannot speak English

In my opinion, you are an immigrant too

Have a nice day

Edited December 28, 2011 by marcel.dekorte

[rocketmanbkk]

I can understand what the OP says as I lived in BKK in 2001/2 an dthen came back to the UK with wife.

In the 10 years I've been back I got a good, job, had a child, purchsed a houe in Berkshire so not cheap and paid my mortgage off fully, built a house in Thailand, fully paid and worth over 5 million baht, built a house up north worth about another million baht, I have a ension, health cover, decent dentists, good scheel for free.

I love That but if I had stayed I can honestly say i would have struggled and now I am in my 40's would hav enot been able to buy a house theus having to rent for the rest ofo my life.

For me, IMHO, there are ups and downs whereever you live in the world, good and bad.

You need to mak ethe most of what you have whereever you are, don't live your life with regrets don't feel down everyday, don't be depressed, you need to adapt and to end this, if you hat ethe UK that much, do one back to BKK, it's your choice so don't moan!!!

Good luck, btw, if you are near me, PM me and we can get together.

[lumply]

Having lost my job after 18 years in the Middle East at the end of 2009, I furkled around HKG, Oz and for the umpteenth time Thailand where I used to visit on biz. When I popped back to the UK I just could not believe how bad things were, then the phone rang and I'm back in Dubai. Bad press and it's own form of recession, yes, but the locals (25% of the population) and the expats just get on with it and things are improving markedly. I've decided to stay for another 3-4 years, then back to BKK.

Let me tell you that if you're looking for a place to stash some serious cash (although Dubai is an expensive place to live), and you can get a job all found, flat or house, car, petrol etc. your 40-50 grand sterling tax free per annum is worth the effort of the move. Not so easy when elderly parents and children have to be considered back home but it's all possible.

[Nanfarang]

Interesting comments all round. I arrived in Thailand in August having left the UK in the midst of riots. If I'd had any second thoughts they were completely banished even before I boarded the plane.

I've read a lot of negative comments about Thailand on this site and can only say from my experience to date I must be in a different country. Retirement visa sorted by a really helpful Immigration department, house rented from a local cop at 3,500 baht/month, local guys at a nearby fishing lake go out of their way to help the 'farang dangler' learn the art of fishing, vistors come by the house and bring food and/or booze.

Almost nobody here speaks any English so I am forced to learn Thai and get help and understanding from just about everybody I meet, no evidence of a hidden ageda yet! Perhaps I'll wake up soon! Yes I miss my adult kids and a decent pint but with Skype I probably talk to the family more than I did when I was in the UK. Overall, its a small price to pay.

[villagefarang]

I think it's really nice to move back home and look after one's dear Mum - good on you, many people would resent it and shove her off into a nursing home. I wonder whether Thai family values have had any influence on that? It sounds like you've just had a rocky first couple of months, that's natural, probably a little culture shock, but you'll soon rediscover all the great things.

Taking care of one’s family members sounds more warm and fuzzy than being shoved off to a nursing home but each situation is different. Sometimes family members simply don’t possess the skills necessary to take care of family member’s needs and can do more harm than good. The family home can be filled with hazards as well. Often it is a false sense of loyalty or the exorbitant cost of good professional help that forces people to try it on their own.

Not sure it is always a good thing but I have noticed that the people in my parents nursing homes live much longer than the old people in the village where we live. Either way old age can be a very depressing and painful time for the aged as well as the caretakers.

[craigt3365]

I think it's really nice to move back home and look after one's dear Mum - good on you, many people would resent it and shove her off into a nursing home. I wonder whether Thai family values have had any influence on that? It sounds like you've just had a rocky first couple of months, that's natural, probably a little culture shock, but you'll soon rediscover all the great things.

Taking care of one’s family members sounds more warm and fuzzy than being shoved off to a nursing home but each situation is different. Sometimes family members simply don’t possess the skills necessary to take care of family member’s needs and can do more harm than good. The family home can be filled with hazards as well. Often it is a false sense of loyalty or the exorbitant cost of good professional help that forces people to try it on their own.

Not sure it is always a good thing but I have noticed that the people in my parents nursing homes live much longer than the old people in the village where we live. Either way old age can be a very depressing and painful time for the aged as well as the caretakers.

I'm trying to deal with my Mom. We're pretty committed to Thailand and do love it here...warts and all. So considering moving her over here.

My uncle is a Dr. of Sociology, specializing in elder care. I talk with him all the time about options for Mom. #1 for him is keeping Mom at home as long as possible. According to him, much better than in a nursing home. I mentioned the thing about falls, as Mom has fallen 4 times or so in the past 3 years.

He told me the story of his wife's uncle. Moved into a nursing home, fell within the first 6 months and was dead not long after that. Accidents can happen anywhere. And yes, getting old sucks!!!!

[KarenBravo]

And yes, getting old sucks!!!!

But, still much better than the alternative.

[mr.buffalo]

'10 years ago I would have smacked him right in the mouth'.

Sounds like you should fit in nicely given a bit of time.

[Gweiloman]

Interesting comments all round. I arrived in Thailand in August having left the UK in the midst of riots. If I'd had any second thoughts they were completely banished even before I boarded the plane.

I've read a lot of negative comments about Thailand on this site and can only say from my experience to date I must be in a different country. Retirement visa sorted by a really helpful Immigration department, house rented from a local cop at 3,500 baht/month, local guys at a nearby fishing lake go out of their way to help the 'farang dangler' learn the art of fishing, vistors come by the house and bring food and/or booze.

Almost nobody here speaks any English so I am forced to learn Thai and get help and understanding from just about everybody I meet, no evidence of a hidden ageda yet! Perhaps I'll wake up soon! Yes I miss my adult kids and a decent pint but with Skype I probably talk to the family more than I did when I was in the UK. Overall, its a small price to pay.

I'm glad that you found Thailand a different country than some of the posters here. Your post immediately shows the kind of open mindedness, non-judgemental mindset needed to have a happy life in Thailand. I wish you a very happy stay / retirement here.

[Gweiloman]

I can understand what the OP says as I lived in BKK in 2001/2 an dthen came back to the UK with wife.

In the 10 years I've been back I got a good, job, had a child, purchsed a houe in Berkshire so not cheap and paid my mortgage off fully, built a house in Thailand, fully paid and worth over 5 million baht, built a house up north worth about another million baht, I have a ension, health cover, decent dentists, good scheel for free.

I love That but if I had stayed I can honestly say i would have struggled and now I am in my 40's would hav enot been able to buy a house theus having to rent for the rest ofo my life.

For me, IMHO, there are ups and downs whereever you live in the world, good and bad.

You need to mak ethe most of what you have whereever you are, don't live your life with regrets don't feel down everyday, don't be depressed, you need to adapt and to end this, if you hat ethe UK that much, do one back to BKK, it's your choice so don't moan!!!

Good luck, btw, if you are near me, PM me and we can get together.

Good for you that you have managed to make such a success of your life in the last 10 years in the UK, when everything and everyone else around you must be struggling just to cope with daily life.

To be able to buy and pay off a house in Berkshire within 10 years is an amazing feat (I had a house in Beaconsfield South Bucks that I managed to pay off as well in 10 years but that's only because I had worked in Singapore for many years and the CPF there was extremely generous together with the fact that I was on close to Gbp 100 k per annum but even then, after my divorce, I found that I could only subsist on my income).

[geriatrickid]

I am amazed by the number foreigners that find such lucrative high paying jobs in Thailand. With the exception of certain specialized or managing directorships, the pay scales are significantly lower in Thailand than in the west, at least that's according to the designated experts like Mercer, AON Hewitt, Deloitte etc. Foreigners that are lucky enough to be employed by foreign MNEs, especially the Swiss, get lucrative top up packages. I'm paid under a western contract that gives me a modest six figure income in $US, but if I took permanent residency and accepted a Thai salary, I would see my wage be cut in half. My colleagues that thought they were going to make a killing when they ditched their homeland income tax requirements in favour of PR got a rude shock when they realized they gave up some distinct benefits and were really no better off after 5 years, once the additional costs were factored in.

Some people over value their job skills in a market and it can come as a shock when the market sets them straight. Thailand is a place where marginal westerners can do better than in their homelands if they can fill a specific niche, but it comes with a cost, a cost usually measured by a diminished lifespan.

I note the grumbling about the UK and the presence of foreigners. Guess what? Thailand is filled with foreigners too; Burmese, Cambodians, Nepalese all doing the jobs the locals cannot or will not do. Know what? Those poles that some don't like are working their butts off doing the hard jobs the lazy English think they are too good to do. Because most foreigners cannot recognize the differences between Thais and Burmese labourers, they don't see the presence of the foreigners in Thailand, a presence that will only increase as labour shortages continue.

How anyone can consider the choking polluted environment of Bangkok superor to a suburb in the USA, Australia, UK is beyond ny understanding. Living in Bangkok speeds your journey to the undertaker. The fatc is that Bangkok residents are more likely to experience respiratory ailments, more likely to have an "accident" such as electrocution, or a fall and are more likely to die in a vehicular incident than in a western residential suburb.

Sure, complain about the food int he Uk. it's never been top notch, its true, but the likelihood of consuming adulterated or unidentified genetically engineered food is greater in Thailand. the likelihood of drinking contaminated water or food is higher in Thailand. From an ethical perspective, one of the reasons why costs are slightly higher in the west is because of things like workplace safety, ethical and humane agricultural practices and a higher quality of products and construction.

One can gripe about the UK, but the high costs and taxes are due to the fact that people are taken care of. it might not be the highest quality of care or perfect, but there are no limbless beggers, no children being sold for sex, no kids being forced into depraved "adult" films that are made in pattaya and no exploitation of the poor in quite the same way as in Thailand. There is a cost to creating an environment where human dignity is maintained.

[Gweiloman]

I am amazed by the number foreigners that find such lucrative high paying jobs in Thailand. With the exception of certain specialized or managing directorships, the pay scales are significantly lower in Thailand than in the west, at least that's according to the designated experts like Mercer, AON Hewitt, Deloitte etc. Foreigners that are lucky enough to be employed by foreign MNEs, especially the Swiss, get lucrative top up packages. I'm paid under a western contract that gives me a modest six figure income in $US, but if I took permanent residency and accepted a Thai salary, I would see my wage be cut in half. My colleagues that thought they were going to make a killing when they ditched their homeland income tax requirements in favour of PR got a rude shock when they realized they gave up some distinct benefits and were really no better off after 5 years, once the additional costs were factored in.

Some people over value their job skills in a market and it can come as a shock when the market sets them straight. Thailand is a place where marginal westerners can do better than in their homelands if they can fill a specific niche, but it comes with a cost, a cost usually measured by a diminished lifespan.

I note the grumbling about the UK and the presence of foreigners. Guess what? Thailand is filled with foreigners too; Burmese, Cambodians, Nepalese all doing the jobs the locals cannot or will not do. Know what? Those poles that some don't like are working their butts off doing the hard jobs the lazy English think they are too good to do. Because most foreigners cannot recognize the differences between Thais and Burmese labourers, they don't see the presence of the foreigners in Thailand, a presence that will only increase as labour shortages continue.

How anyone can consider the choking polluted environment of Bangkok superor to a suburb in the USA, Australia, UK is beyond ny understanding. Living in Bangkok speeds your journey to the undertaker. The fatc is that Bangkok residents are more likely to experience respiratory ailments, more likely to have an "accident" such as electrocution, or a fall and are more likely to die in a vehicular incident than in a western residential suburb.

Sure, complain about the food int he Uk. it's never been top notch, its true, but the likelihood of consuming adulterated or unidentified genetically engineered food is greater in Thailand. the likelihood of drinking contaminated water or food is higher in Thailand. From an ethical perspective, one of the reasons why costs are slightly higher in the west is because of things like workplace safety, ethical and humane agricultural practices and a higher quality of products and construction.

One can gripe about the UK, but the high costs and taxes are due to the fact that people are taken care of. it might not be the highest quality of care or perfect, but there are no limbless beggers, no children being sold for sex, no kids being forced into depraved "adult" films that are made in pattaya and no exploitation of the poor in quite the same way as in Thailand. There is a cost to creating an environment where human dignity is maintained.

Wow, that's quite a rant.

I think that the majority of expat posters on TV are not the highly paid MD's of multi-nationals but just ordinary blokes whose standard of living here are probably a bit higher that what they would have back in their home countries. Main reasons I would think are that the taxes here are lower as is the cost of living (for their sort of lifestyles).

Your comparison of Bkk with the suburbs of USA / UK / Aus are a bit off base. Before moving to a suburb of Bkk (25 kms away), I lived in Asoke / Suk and I can tell you that the weather and environment is as different as night and day. In the past, I had lived in Little Venice in London (near Warwick Avenue) and then moved to Beaconsfield and the environment is also as different as night and day.

The high costs and taxes, particularly in the UK, is due to the fact that each successive government is trying to be more PC than the previous one. I pay 11% NHS but am I likely to get good medical treatment at a govt hospital? Not on you life!

I agree with you that there is a cost to creating an environment where human dignity is maintained but this is not the subject matter at hand.

[roxnadz]

For me the solution that works best is to spend about 3/4 of my time in Thailand and 1/4 in USA. Makes me appreciate both places even more....and I can save enough on normal living expenses while in Thailand to blow a bit more while in usa.

That's exactly what I do.

[makescents]

English farangs in Thailand moaning about foreigners in England not speaking English, when they don't speak Thai, never fails to amuse me.

[transam]

Yes England was a Great Country, remember the 1960's great memories but then it all started to wrong I think Mary Whitehouse started it! So many rules, silly rules and regs now, free speech? You have to be careful what you say in case an immigrant hears you and complains! Your country? Not anymore please fit in with these nice homeless people from the big house down the road and learn their language because although they have lots of time on their hands on account none of them work they still cannot speak a word of English. Yes it is still a grenn and pleasant land so long as you are on your own or with a native of the island.

Last time I was back I thought I was in Somalia, loads of them around and all better of than me, ah well finished my real ale and sunday roast, bacon roll and glad to be back in Thailand. Much more straight forward here, not all 100% better of course as said nowhere is but I have no plans to return to the UK full time.

I miss my grown up daugther as well, I know she misses me but you know what she has her own life and I flit in and out of it and I really cant spend my life waiting to see her for a couple of hours 6 times a year if I am lucky can I?

We have a better quality of life out here, much better. The two downsides are the frozen pension and health care and how to deal with those two issues.

+1

[transam]

timestamp='[/color]1325164185' post='4942496']

English farangs in Thailand moaning about foreigners in England not speaking English, when they don't speak Thai, never fails to amuse me.

You miss the point, farangs in LOS take care of them selves, the forieigners in UK are there for the natives to take care of them BIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGG difference.

[cardholder]

English farangs in Thailand moaning about foreigners in England not speaking English, when they don't speak Thai, never fails to amuse me.

It seems that you are very easily amused.

[nong38]

Makescents how do you know exter does not speak Thai?

Personally exeter's views of his home are pretty much the same as I experience. in the UK, its a home for asylum seekers now and if you have not seen that then you are blind to the obvious

Out here I suppose I am an immigrant but I do try and speak a bit of Thai and fit in with locals, its their country and I am happy to be allowed to be here with them, also I am not a burden on the state here and I am making some peoples lives better for me being here and supporting them.

I cannot understand anyone wanting to go back to the UK, it will only take a few days for you to see the error of your ways and get a flight back ASAP.

[cardholder]

Makescents how do you know exter does not speak Thai?

Personally exeter's views of his home are pretty much the same as I experience. in the UK, its a home for asylum seekers now and if you have not seen that then you are blind to the obvious

Out here I suppose I am an immigrant but I do try and speak a bit of Thai and fit in with locals, its their country and I am happy to be allowed to be here with them, also I am not a burden on the state here and I am making some peoples lives better for me being here and supporting them.

I cannot understand anyone wanting to go back to the UK, it will only take a few days for you to see the error of your ways and get a flight back ASAP.

I have just had 3 weeks back in the UK (that was 2 weeks too long!) - I cannot wait for the 2nd January to get here and I can come home.

[makescents]

You miss the point, farangs in LOS take care of them selves, the forieigners in UK are there for the natives to take care of them BIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGG difference.

Are you being sarcastic?

It seems that you are very easily amused.

I just find the hypocrisy of raging xenophobes that are enjoying the tolerance of other people. If Thais were as xenophobic as those on this thread then you probably wouldn't be allowed to be here.

Makescents how do you know exter does not speak Thai?

Personally exeter's views of his home are pretty much the same as I experience. in the UK, its a home for asylum seekers now and if you have not seen that then you are blind to the obvious

Out here I suppose I am an immigrant but I do try and speak a bit of Thai and fit in with locals, its their country and I am happy to be allowed to be here with them, also I am not a burden on the state here and I am making some peoples lives better for me being here and supporting them.

I cannot understand anyone wanting to go back to the UK, it will only take a few days for you to see the error of your ways and get a flight back ASAP.

I made an assumption that he doesn't speak Thai.

Immigrants pay more in taxes than the cost they burden the state with. There's no good economic argument against immigration; it always boils down to xenophobia and racism.

Most immigrants don't just go to the UK and sign on. They can't. I used to work for the DWP and the hoops we make asylum seekers jump through is dam_n right inhuman.

[Wossnext]

Interesting post Wossnext....im in the process of considering the opposite move...

I work in London and live in Surrey,spend 4-6 months a year in Thailand as my work luckily is kinda seasonal and well paid....tho running a house in Uk and a place in Thailand is proving to be expensive and money down the drain,really need to make the move completely and rent my Uk place out.....

Basically the things u highlighted about the UK i am also sick of,and while i realise Bkk isnt perfect,as nowhere is,i do know id have a much better quality of life as i wouldnt be working in Thailand,and could enjoy all living in Bkk has to offer and return back to London as and when needed for work...

The fly in the ointment is that id miss my daughter who im very close to.....tho she is now an adult....

Anyway,nothing really to add,just thought id say i understand why and what frustrates u about living in the Uk and hope u make it back to Bkk,the Uk is going down the tubes quick and only gonna get tougher before it gets better.....

Good luck...

Thanks for your sensible response, I agree that we (UK) are in a desperate situation, and that it is rapidly worsening, I had a stressful and difficult job in Thailand but would go back to my life there in a heartbeat if it were possible

[moobie]

makescents, may I pick some holes in your arguements in you recent Post?

"Immigrants pay more in taxes than the cost they burden the state with".

This line was popular during the last Labour Government and was if memory served up by the IPPR - a left leaning, think tank. Depending on the sources you wish to scrutinise, this fact does not hold water and at best the pro's and con's regarding the tax situation of immigrants runs slightly or deeper into the negative, But here we must not forget that many immigrants may be high-flyers from (Former Western colonies) working in the likes of the City or running Companies, etc. This distorts the taxation situation greatly.

There's no good economic argument against immigration; it always boils down to xenophobia and racism.

Hmm, with a country with 8.2% of the working population unemployed you do wonder? (Figure from a recent copy of The Economist). Working within the Engineering sector I've seen multiple instances of job losses or rates of pay being reduced on the threat of the introduction of cheaper, immigrant workers into the workplace. If an indigenous worker consequently loses his/her job or has to claim tax credits then it is the state which then picks up the benefit tab. Unfortunately, such practises do not improve service/product quality. But this "job loss" cost is again not factored against that of the introduction of the immigrant into the country. Read, "Nickel or Dimed" by an American author or Polly Toynbee's UK version on the ways to fleece an immigrant worker, and ergo the state, out of revenues.

This is neither xenophobia or racism* but cold, hard facts.

(*Ah, Those 2 words the readership of The Guardian seem to have indelibly inked onto their brains).

Most immigrants don't just go to the UK and sign on. They can't.

I agree but there are plenty of charities and support groups - sometimes supported by council grants, etc. - by which they can get by. And let us not forget translation services at a cost in the region of £50-75 per hour. Again such costs are not weighted against the immigrant's cost.

I used to work for the DWP and the hoops we make asylum seekers jump through is dam_n right inhuman.

Unless an Asylum seeker reached the UK directly from his/her country of persecution (highly unlikely given the nature for fleeing) then they should seek sanctuary in the first safe country they reach. (This is within the Dublin Accord after all). If that being so, why do so many trek through mainland Europe, before trying to get into the UK, It is certainly not the weather so could it be the shambolic human rights sector and later the benefit system?

--------------

However, I am fortunate and can say my area of the UK has few immigrants when compared to some and indeed this was cited as the reason why the Summer riots did not spread into my area or its surrounds. The thing which does amuse me however, are those who complain about immigrants whilst having brought a foreign wife and maybe child/children into the country if by some magic these were not immigrants themselves. This includes at least 2 close friends.

One thing is for certain, immigration is a political hot-potato for all parties. For expats it may be wothwhile keeping an eye on their "home" newspress as there maybe items which crop up that may affect their views on where they are living and the duration. (Eg. This is currently a rumour but I read it in the broadsheets and may it be announced in April 2012 : if out of the UK for a period of 6-months or more, then treatment on the NHS will be denied until a set period of "home stay" has been served within the UK - this is one to keep a good eye on).

As for the OP I would shy from putting too much emphasis on living in Thailand and Bangkok on a CV/Resume. Play on the career strengths rather than too much emphasis on location. Unfortunately, there is a stigma attached.

[richard_smith237]

I'm in the UK for Christmas and New Year. My Wife and I are having a wonderful time in the countryside with family and friends.

I think the key element to our visits to the UK and life in Thailand is that in England I'm a country boy and avoid the city, in Thailand I'm a city boy.

I believe the best of England is present in its friendly countryside where people still hold doors open for each other, where strangers say hello and other drivers flash their car lights for you to go first.

I also believe the best of Thailand is in the cosmopolitan nature of its capital where as much of a normal existence as possible can be maintained.

England is a lovely place to visit. While Thailand remains a great place to live.

[IsaanUSA]

Interesting thread.

I hope your mother gets well soon.

Edited December 29, 2011 by IsaanUSA

[exeter]

Good morning, today I speak to makescents. I speak Thai, sorry, a little but I make an effort to get by and I do.

If you worked for the DWP the n you will know that single mums can claim £700 a month for each child, that new asylum seekers get £250 a week plus £100 hardship, free housing and anything else they are told they can claim. I as a UK pensioner have the luxury of having my pension frozen, I am not alone and people in the UK when they see what is going on are not happy about it, you may say its racism or xenohpobia I think its just not fair to the natives of the islands.

The asylum system clearly is not working, how many times to pick up the online paper and read of asylum entrants claiming bebenfits which they are not entitled to? You think I am happy about that and that all the Uk's people thing that it is ok? We gave them a haven and they took the piss, if some of you out there dont like straight tallking tough, I always thought free speech was normal in the UK but now it is not in case you offend someone.

Here in Thailand i know the score, take care of yourself or dont come, the state is not going to support you, dont see to many asylum seekers here strangely, apart from one chap from Dubai who seems keen.

Am I am immigrant or a visitor a mute point but I will tell you this when I first came here and was thinking about coming a Thai Senator said to me that if you come it is a simple life but a happy one. He also said that I would be welcome in the community as I have a lot to bring to it. I dont think he meant money because I do not have a lot but I do bring me and all that I stand for and right here they seem to like it.

Out in the countryside of the UK I totally agree, England is pretty much what it always was a green and pleasant land where traditions are still adhered to but have a day in the city, the bigger cities and you would wonder where you were. We cannot stop change but there is an old saying "when in Rome do as the Romans do" that is not what is happenning in the UK though, we Brits are expected to fit in the with the new entrants and that is not right.I dont expect Thais to change for me or Thailand to become England, I knew that before I came.

I shall return to the old country in May but i dont expect it to be a long visit I am sure I will be saddened by how much more it has changed in the last year, fortunately I will be spending a good time in the provinces where I might still recognize the place.

Happy new year to everyone and I do mean everyone.

[thedivezone]

Blaming the EU for the UK's ills is really a cheap shot, especially since the UK only adopts those rules and regs that are favorable for it's own national interest !

Hi Everyone,

Wow! what an interesting response. I should have posted this before I left, might have saved me from myself if I had lol. In response to one comment about retirement; yes we do have family inherited land up nr Mahasarakham which we intend to build on and retire to later in life. We will start sending money back to our respective Thai accounts over the next X amount of years to achieve this. Only problem is that if the kind of salary we are now on is going to be the norm for the foreseeable future, then it will be an uphill (almost vertical) climb to get there.

Some really good comments from forum readers and I thank you for all of them. I blew off so many comments from expats I knew in Bangkok about it being a bad bad move to come back here, I admit to thinking that some of them were just embittered and therefore ignored many of their comments. I was wrong and wish I had listened more carefully. Even my own Brother who is a successful London Radio DJ says that he wants to leave the UK desperately and thought me an idiot for coming back!

In between typing this post I am searching multiple jobs websites, it is a depressing and soul destroying endeavour. Aside from the obvious groans about taxes and the ever inventive ways the UK Government have devised for extracting money from it's citizens, now applying for even the most low level positions has become annoyingly lengthy and overly complex, not to mention the hundreds of other applicants you will be up against. I am a fighter and will not give up trying but have to admit to feeling a sense of hopelessness creeping up on me.

Ref to pgthompson; oh yeh I feel you on your post 100%. I too said "alright mate" to a guy I walked past on the high street in High Wycombe and he looked at me and said "I dont F***ing know you! I was so shocked I just said guess not and walked on, 10 years ago I would have smacked him right in the mouth! but not now, I just felt sick in my stomach that I almost got in a punch up for saying hi. Something is really wrong here. People are unfriendly unhelpful, aggressive and seem to be just plain angry.

I am sorry to bash my own country like this, I was once so proud of being British it used to impress people and still does in some places, but it is a shadow of its former self, the EU have contributed in no small way to our demise and as already pointed out by others the UK economy is in dire straits with little chance of improving anytime soon.

One thing to remember; coming back to the UK will not be a crappy experience for everybody, we all have different circumstances that affect our situations both finacially and otherwise. It saddens me that so many Thai citizens think that the UK is a country that will greatly enrich and improve their lives, unless they are from a HiSo family this is unlikely to be the case.

[TantraMantra]

not to mention the appalling cost of living here (35 pounds or over 1,500 Thai baht for Thai food which my GF said was inedible)

I hate to break the news, but it's over 1700 baht...

Plus the 20 Baht tip.

More like 250 Bt tip unless service is already included

[makescents]

Good morning, today I speak to makescents. I speak Thai, sorry, a little but I make an effort to get by and I do.

If you worked for the DWP the n you will know that single mums can claim £700 a month for each child, that new asylum seekers get £250 a week plus £100 hardship, free housing and anything else they are told they can claim.

Where on earth did you get this information, the Daily Mail?

Asylum seekers cannot claim JSA, housing benefit or income support. Also asylum seekers aren't allowed to work in the UK.

In fact they don't get any money from the DWP, they get it from the Border Agency at a rate of £40.22 not the £250 you quoted.